Difference between revisions of "Manna"

<p> There is a connection between the natural &nbsp;manna and the supernatural. The natural is the sweet juice of the &nbsp;tarfa , a kind of tamarisk. It exudes in May for about six weeks from the trunk and branches in hot weather, and forms small round white grains. It retains its consistency in cool weather, but melts with heat. It is gathered from the twigs or from the fallen leaves. The Arabs, after boiling and straining, use it as honey with bread. The color is a greyish-yellow, the taste sweet and aromatic. [[Ehrenberg]] says it is produced by an insect's puncture. It abounds in rainy seasons, some years it ceases. About 600 or 700 pounds is the present produce of a year. The region wady Gharandel (Elim) and Sinai, the wady Sheich, and some other parts of the peninsula, are the places where it is found. The name is still its Arabic designation, and is read on the [[Egyptian]] monuments (&nbsp;mennu , &nbsp;mennu hut , "white manna".) [[Gesenius]] derives it from &nbsp;manah , "to apportion." The supernatural character of the manna of Exodus at the same time appears. </p> <p> &nbsp;(1) It was found not under the tamarisk, but on the surface of the wilderness, after the morning dew had disappeared. </p> <p> &nbsp;(2) The quantity gathered in a single day exceeded the present produce of a year. </p> <p> &nbsp;(3) It ceased on the sabbath. </p> <p> &nbsp;(4) Its properties were distinct; it could be ground and baked as meal, it was not a mere condiment but nutritious as bread. </p> <p> &nbsp;(5) It was found not merely where it still is, but Israel's whole way to [[Canaan]] (and not merely for a month or two each year, but all the year round). The miracle has all the conditions and characteristics of divine interpositions. </p> <p> &nbsp;(1) A necessity, for [[Israel]] could not otherwise have been sustained in the wilderness. </p> <p> &nbsp;(2) A divine purpose, namely to preserve God's peculiar people on which His whole providential government and man's salvation depended. </p> <p> &nbsp;(3) [[Harmony]] between the natural and the supernatural; God fed them, not with the food of other regions, but with that of the district. </p> <p> The local coloring is marked. [[Moses]] the writer could neither have been deceived as to the fact, nor could have deceived contemporaries and eye-witnesses. (Speaker's Commentary) The [[Scripture]] allusions to it are in &nbsp;Exodus 16:14-36; &nbsp;Numbers 11:7-9; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 8:3-16; &nbsp;Joshua 5:12; &nbsp;Psalms 78:24-25 ("angels' food"; not as if angels ate food, but food from the habitation of angels, heaven, a directly miraculous gift), &nbsp;Matthew 4:4; &nbsp;John 6:31-50; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 10:3. The manna was a "small round thing as the hoar-frost on the ground," falling with the dew on the camp at night. They gathered it early every morning before the sun melted it. </p> <p> If laid by for any following day except the sabbath it bred worms and stank. It was like coriander seed and bdellium, white, and its taste as the taste of fresh oil, like wafers made with honey (&nbsp;Numbers 11:7-9). Israel subsisted on it for 40 years; it suddenly ceased when they got the first new grain of Canaan. Vulgate, Septuagint, and [[Josephus]] (Ant. 3:1, sec. 6) derive manna from Israel's question to one another, &nbsp;maan huw' " 'what is this?' for they knew not what it was." God "gave it to His beloved (in) sleep" (&nbsp;Psalms 127:2), so the sense and context require. Israel each morning, in awaking, found it already provided without toil. Such is the gospel, the gift of grace, not the fruit of works; free to all, and needed by high and low as indispensable for true life. </p> <p> To commemorate Israel's living on omers or tenth deals of manna one omer was put into a golden pot and preserved for many generations beside the ark. Each was to gather according to his eating, an omer apiece for each in his tent, a command testing their obedience, in which some failed, gathering more but gaining nought by it, for however much he gathered, on measuring it in his tent he found he had only as much as he needed for his family; type of [[Christian]] charity, which is to make the superfluity of some supply the needs of others. "that there may be equality" (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 8:14-15); "our luxuries should yield to our neighbor's comforts, and our comforts to his necessities" (John Howard). The manna typifies Christ. </p> <p> &nbsp;(1) It falls from above (&nbsp;John 6:32, etc.) as the dew (&nbsp;Psalms 110:3; &nbsp;Micah 5:7) round the camp, i.e. the visible church, and nowhere else; the gift of God for which we toil not (&nbsp;John 6:28-29); when we were without merit or strength (&nbsp;Romans 5:6; &nbsp;Romans 5:8). </p> <p> &nbsp;(2) It was gathered early; so we, before the world's heat of excitement melt away the good of God's gift to us (&nbsp;Psalms 63:1; &nbsp;Hosea 5:15; &nbsp;Hosea 6:4; &nbsp;Matthew 13:6). </p> <p> &nbsp;(3) A double portion must be gathered for the sabbath. </p> <p> &nbsp;(4) It was ground in the mill, as Christ was "bruised" for us to become our "bread of life." </p> <p> &nbsp;(5) [[Sweet]] as honey to the taste (&nbsp;Psalms 34:8; &nbsp;Psalms 119:103; &nbsp;1 Peter 2:3). </p> <p> &nbsp;(6) It must be gathered "day by day," fresh each day; so today's grace will not suffice for tomorrow (&nbsp;1 Kings 8:59 margin; &nbsp;Matthew 6:11; &nbsp;Luke 11:3). Hoarded up it putrefied; so gospel doctrine laid up for speculation, not received in love and digested as spiritual food, becomes a savor of death not life (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 8:1). </p> <p> &nbsp;(7) To the carnal it was "dry" food though really like "fresh oil" (&nbsp;Numbers 11:6; &nbsp;Numbers 11:8; &nbsp;Numbers 21:5): so the gospel to the worldly who long for fleshly pleasures of Egypt, but to the spiritual it is full of the rich savor of the [[Holy]] Spirit (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 2:14-16). </p> <p> &nbsp;(8) Its preservation in the golden pot in the holiest typifies Jesus, now in the heavenly holiest place, where He gives of the hidden manna to him that overcometh (&nbsp;Revelation 2:17); He is the manna hidden from the world but revealed to the believer, who has now a foretaste of His preciousness; like the incorruptible manna in the sanctuary, the spiritual food offered to all who reject the world's dainties for Christ is everlasting, an incorruptible body, and life in Christ at the resurrection. </p> <p> &nbsp;(9) The manna continued with Israel throughout their wilderness journey; so Christ with His people here (&nbsp;Matthew 28:19). </p> <p> &nbsp;(10) It ceases when they gain the promised rest, for faith then gives place to sight and the wilderness manna to the fruit of the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God (&nbsp;Revelation 2:7; &nbsp;Revelation 22:2; &nbsp;Revelation 22:14). </p>

<p> &nbsp;מן , &nbsp;Exodus 16:15; &nbsp;Exodus 16:33; &nbsp;Exodus 16:35; &nbsp;Numbers 11:6-7; &nbsp;Numbers 11:9; &nbsp;Joshua 5:12; &nbsp;Nehemiah 9:20; &nbsp;Psalms 78:24; &nbsp;μαννα , &nbsp;John 6:31; &nbsp;John 6:49; &nbsp;John 6:58; &nbsp;Hebrews 9:4; &nbsp;Revelation 2:17; the food which God gave the children of Israel during their continuance in the deserts of Arabia, from the eighth encampment in the wilderness of Sin. Moses describes it as white like hoar frost, round, and of the bigness of coriander seed. It fell every morning upon the dew; and when the dew was exhaled by the heat of the sun, the manna appeared alone, lying upon the rocks or the sand. It fell every day except on the Sabbath, and this only around the camp of the Israelites. Every sixth day there fell a double quantity; and though it putrefied and bred maggots when it was kept any other day, yet on the [[Sabbath]] there was no such alteration. The same substance which was melted by the heat of the sun when it was left abroad, was of so hard a consistence when brought into the tent, that it was beaten in mortars, and would even endure the fire, being made into cakes and baked in pans. It fell in so great quantities during the whole forty years of their journey, that it was sufficient to feed the whole multitude of above a million of souls. </p> <p> Every man, that is, every male or head of a family, was to gather each day the quantity of an omer, about three quarts English measure; and it is observed that "he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack," because his gathering was in proportion to the number of persons for whom he had to provide. Or every man gathered as much as he could; and then, when brought home and measured by an omer, if he had a surplus, it went to supply the wants of some other family that had not been able to collect a sufficiency, the family being large, and the time in which the manna might be gathered, before the heat of the day, not being sufficient to collect enough for so numerous a household, several of whom might be so confined as not to be able to collect for themselves. Thus there was an equality; and in this light the words of St. Paul lead us to view the passage, &nbsp;2 Corinthians 8:15 . To commemorate their living upon manna, the [[Israelites]] were directed to put one omer of it into a golden vase; and it was preserved for many generations by the side of the ark. </p> <p> Our translators and others make a plain contradiction in the relation of this account of the manna, by rendering it thus: "And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna; for they knew not what it was;" whereas the Septuagint, and several authors, both ancient and modern, have translated the text according to the original: "The Israelites seeing this, said one to another, What is it? &nbsp;מן ח&nbsp;וא ; they could not give it a name. Moses immediately answers the question, and says, "This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat." From &nbsp;Exodus 16:31 , we learn that this substance was afterward called &nbsp;מן , probably in commemoration of the question they had asked on its first appearance. What this substance was, we know not. It was nothing that was common in the wilderness. It is evident that the Israelites never saw it before; for Moses says, "He fed thee with manna which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know," &nbsp;Deuteronomy 8:3; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 8:16; and it is very likely that nothing of the kind had ever been seen before; and by a pot of it being laid up in the ark, it is as likely that nothing of the kind ever appeared after the miraculous supply in the wilderness had ceased. The author of the book of Wisdom, Wis_16:20-21 , says, that the manna so accommodated itself to every one's taste that it proved palatable and pleasing to all. It has been remarked that at this day, what is called manna is found in several places; in Arabia, on Mount Libanus, Calabria, and elsewhere. The most famous is that of Arabia, which is a kind of condensed honey, which exudes from the leaves of trees, from whence it is collected when it has become concreted. [[Salmasius]] thinks this of the same kind which fed the children of Israel; and that the miracle lay, not in creating any new substance, but in making it fall duly at a set time every day throughout the whole year, and that in such plenty as to suffice so great a multitude. But in order for this, the Israelites must be supposed every day to have been in the neighbourhood of the trees on which this substance is formed; which was not the case, neither do these trees grow in those deserts. Beside, this kind of manna is purgative, and the stomach could not endure it in such quantity as is implied by its being eaten for food. The whole history of the giving the manna is evidently miraculous; and the manna was truly "bread from heaven," as sent by special interposition of God. </p>

<p> The miraculous "bread of heaven" (&nbsp;Psalm 78:24 ) that God provided for the Israelites while he led them through the Red Sea on dry ground and into the [[Wilderness]] of [[Sin]] (&nbsp;Exodus 16 ). The "small round substance" (v. 14) may have been produced by insects that punctured the fruit of the tamarisk tree, through it was consistently regarded in the [[Bible]] as a miraculous gift from God rather than as a product of nature. It was certainly miraculous in terms of its timing and quanity. . </p> <p> Manna looked like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey (v. 31). When the Israelites saw it, they asked each other, "What is it?" (Heb. <i> man hu </i> [&Nbsp;יואָבמָן &Nbsp;מָן]). This led to the name "manna, " "what?" It came each morning, except on the Sabbath day. It could be collected each day for that day alone, and only as much as could be eaten in one day. If a person tried to collect more than needed or to store the manna for future needs, it would grow wormy and foul (v. 20). In this way it was impossible for the Israelites to evade total dependence on God or to use the manna greedily for personal gain. Miraculously, the manna could be preserved on the sixth day and eaten on the Sabbath, and it was not to be found on the Sabbath morning (vv. 22-29). </p> <p> Eventually, the rebellious Israelites grew tired of the manna and regretted the day they were delivered from their bondage (&nbsp;Numbers 11:6 ). They came to detest the manna and longed instead for the rich foods of [[Egypt]] (v. 5). But God continued to give the Israelites a steady supply of manna during their forty years of desert wanderings. When Joshua and the children of Israel crossed the [[Jordan]] River and entered the promised land at Gilgal, they celebrated the [[Passover]] and ate the produce of the land. On that day, the manna ceased, again illustrating its miraculous provision (&nbsp;Joshua 5:12 ). </p> <p> The purpose of the manna was to test Israel's faith, to humble them, and to teach them that one "does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 8:3,16 ). A hungry Jesus used this quote to refuse Satan's suggestion that he turn stones into bread (&nbsp;Matthew 4:4 ). Like the Israelites in the desert, Jesus was totally dependent on the provisions of his heavenly Father while in the wilderness of temptation (&nbsp;Matthew 4:11 ). </p> <p> The people in Jesus' day misunderstood the significance of the manna. They longed for a physical miracle, like the manna, which would prove to them that Jesus' words were true (&nbsp;John 6:31 ). But Jesus wanted his disciples to seek for the bread of heaven that gives life to the world, instead of physical bread to satisfy their appetites. When they asked, "From now on give us this bread, " he answered, "I am the bread of life" (vv. 32-35). To the church in Pergamos, Jesus encouraged faithfulness by promising that true believers would receive "hidden manna" to eat (&nbsp;Revelation 2:17 ). Just as Moses' manna brought with it physical blessing, so this heavenly reward will bring eternal life. </p> <p> [[William]] T. [[Arnold]] </p> <p> <i> See also </i> [[Jesus Christ]]; [[Theology Of John]] </p> <p> <i> Bibliography </i> . F. S. Bodenheimer, <i> BA </i> 10 (1947):1-6; J. C. Slayton, <i> ABD, </i> 4:511; E. M. Yamauchi, <i> WTJ </i> 28 (1966):145-56. </p>

<p> In the margin of the Bible it is called Man-hu, (&nbsp;&nbsp;Exodus 16:15) meaning the bread with which the Lord fed. Israel in the wilderness. It was altogether miraculous: for this food began to fall from heaven from the time the Israelites arrived in the wilderness of Zin, which was the sixteenth day of the second month after their departure from Egypt, until that they came to Canaan, during the pilgrimage of forty years. And what rendered this daily mercy the more miraculous was, that on the Sabbath-days it never fell, during the whole of this eventful period. I beg the reader to read the interesting account of it, &nbsp;&nbsp;Exodus 16:1-36 throughout: it will well reward his attention, The children of Israel called it Man-hu; that is, they asked the question, "What is this, far it is peculiar?" And hence Moses, (&nbsp;&nbsp;Deuteronomy 8:3) reminds Israel of their surprize at first beholding it. "Who fed thee (said Moses) with that peculiar things which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know." </p> <p> The miracle itself was designed to be a standing miracle, for Israel to remember and record in their generations for ever; hence an omer of it was to be reserved in a pot, and laid up before the Lord for a memorial. Here was a double proof of the miracle; for the manna itself was s perishable and delicate, that if only kept for day, it bred worms and stank; yet, to teach Israel to reverence the Sabbaths, that which we kept for the use of the Sabbath bred no worm nor stank; and the omer of it also which was laid up before the Lord, was preserved pure generation to generation. </p> <p> It was also no less miraculous, the immense quantity which regularly fell every day in the supply. It gave supply to the whole camp Israel—six hundred thousand on foot that we men, besides children, and mixed multitude that went with Israel, came out of Egypt; therefore allowing for increase, we may safely put down near a million of souls, who were daily fed from the supply of manna. (See &nbsp;&nbsp;Exodus 12:37-38) The manna had a remarkable quality, which, though not miraculous, is recorded as worthy our observation. Though it melted at the heat of the sun, yet when brought into the tent it became hard, so that the people ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar. (See &nbsp;&nbsp;Numbers 11:7-8 and &nbsp;&nbsp;Exodus 16:20-21) It may be proper to observe, that what is now called manna in the shop of the apothecary, hath no One resemblance or connection whatever with the manna of Scripture, but is the gum, or balsam, of certain trees. We are told indeed by historians, that in [[Arabia]] and in Calabria, and in other places, there is a dew on the ground still to be seen like manna. But that this cannot be similar to the manna of Israel is evident, for it is of medicinal quality, and affects the bowels. The [[Jews]] are so tenacious respecting the manna of their fathers, that they pronounce an anathema and execration on every one that would call in question the miraculous nature of it. And [[Christians]] ought not to be less earnest in defence of the same precious truth, since the manna of the Old [[Testament]] was but typical and figurative of the bread of life under the New. Jesus was all along thus represented to Israel; and was then, and is now, the living bread, by faith, with which the Lord feeds all the true Israel. (See &nbsp;&nbsp;John 6:31-58; &nbsp;&nbsp;Revelation 2:17) </p>

<p> &nbsp;Manna. &nbsp;(what is this?). (Hebrew, &nbsp;man). The most important passages of the Old Testament on this topic are the following: &nbsp;Exodus 16:14-36; &nbsp;Numbers 11:7-9; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 11:5; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 11:16; &nbsp;Joshua 5:12; &nbsp;Psalms 78:24-25. </p> <p> From these passages, we learn that the manna came every morning, except the &nbsp;Sabbath, in the form of a small round seed, resembling the hoar frost, so that it must be gathered early, before the sun became so hot as to melt it; that it must be gathered every day except the &nbsp;Sabbath; that the attempt to lay aside for a succeeding day, except on the day immediately preceding the &nbsp;Sabbath, failed because the substance becoming wormy and offensive; that it was prepared for food by grinding and baking; that its taste was like fresh oil, and like wafers made with honey, equally agreeable to all palates; that the whole nation, of at least 2,000,000, subsisted upon it for forty years; that it suddenly ceased when they first got the new corn of the land of Canaan; and that it was always regarded as a miraculous gift directly from God, and not as a product of nature. </p> <p> The natural products of the [[Arabian]] deserts and other Oriental regions which bear the name of manna have not the qualities or uses ascribed to the manna of Scripture. The latter substance was undoubtedly wholly miraculous, and not, in any respect, a product of nature, though its name may have come from its resemblance to the natural manna. The substance now called &nbsp;manna in the Arabian desert, through which the Israelites passed, is collected in the month of June from the &nbsp;tarfa or &nbsp;tamarisk shrub (&nbsp;Tamarix gallica). </p> <p> According to Burckhardt, it drops from the thorns on the sticks and leaves with which the ground is covered, and must be gathered early in the day or it will be melted by the sun. The Arabs cleanse and boil it, strain it through a cloth and put it in leathern bottles; and in this way, it can be kept uninjured for several years. They use it like honey or butter with their unleavened bread, but never make it into cakes or eat it by itself. The whole harvest, which amounts to only five or six hundred pounds, is consumed by the Bedouins, "who," says Schaff, "consider it the greatest dainty their country affords." </p> <p> The manna of European commerce conies mostly from [[Calabria]] and Sicily. It's gathered during the months of June and July from some species of ash, (&nbsp;Ornus europaea and &nbsp;Ornus rotundifolia), from which it drops in consequence of a puncture by an insect resembling the locust, but distinguished from it by having a sting under its body. The substance is fluid at night and resembles the dew, but in the morning it begins to harden. </p>

<p> &nbsp;Manna, (&nbsp;what is this? Heb. &nbsp;mân). The chief food of the Israelites in the wilderness. &nbsp;Exodus 16:14-36; &nbsp;Numbers 11:7-9; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 8:3; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 8:16; &nbsp;Joshua 5:12; &nbsp;Psalms 78:24-25. The most remarkable things about the manna of the Israelites were: 1. That double the quantity was supplied on the day preceding the Sabbath or seventh day; 2. That on the Sabbath or seventh day none was furnished; 3. That what they kept from the sixth day to the seventh was sweet and good, while what they kept from any other day to the next day bred worms and became offensive. These miracles were wrought in attestation of the sanctity of the Sabbath. The manna of the Jews is described as "a small round thing," as small as "the hoarfrost on the ground," "like coriander seed" (in shape doubtless, perhaps in size and density), "of the color of bdellium." "and the taste of it like wafers made with honey." For forty years this miraculous supply of food was furnished daily to between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 of people. &nbsp;Deuteronomy 29:5-6. It ceased while they were encamped at Gilgal, immediately after they had celebrated the passover for the first time in the Land of Promise. To commemorate this wonderful miracle a golden pot was provided, &nbsp;Exodus 16:33; &nbsp;Hebrews 9:4, and an omer (or one man's portion) of the manna put up for preservation and placed in or near the ark, that succeeding generations might see with their own eyes the very substance on which their fathers were miraculously fed in their long and perilous journeyings from Egypt to Canaan. The manna which is now used in medicine as a mild laxative is the juice of the flowering ash, a native of Sicily, Calabria, and other parts of the south of Europe. It is either naturally concreted, or exsiccated, and purified by art. The best manna is in oblong pieces or flakes of a pale yellow color; light, friable, and somewhat transparent. It has no characteristics in common with the manna miraculously supplied to the Israelites while journeying through the wilderness. Wherever the manna is referred to in Scripture, it is invariably regarded as a miraculous food sent directly from God. The Lord Jesus accepted the manna as a type of himself—the living bread which came down from heaven. "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world." &nbsp;John 6:33; &nbsp;John 6:48; &nbsp;John 6:50. The phrase "hidden manna," &nbsp;Revelation 2:17, figuratively describes the spiritual food which Christ supplies to those who believe in him and live by faith in him. </p>

<div> &nbsp;1: Μάννα &nbsp;(Strong'S #3131 — Noun Neuter — manna — man'-nah ) </div> <p> the supernaturally provided food for Israel during their wilderness journey (for details see &nbsp;Exodus 16 and &nbsp; Numbers 11 ). The [[Hebrew]] equivalent is given in &nbsp;Exodus 16:15 , RV marg., "man hu." The translations are, RV, "what is it?;" AV and RV marg., "it is manna." It is described in &nbsp;Psalm 78:24,25 as "the corn of heaven" and "the bread of the mighty," RV text and AV marg. ("angels' food," AV text), and in &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 10:3 , as "spiritual meat." The vessel appointed to contain it as a perpetual memorial, was of gold, &nbsp;Hebrews 9:4 , with &nbsp;Exodus 16:33 . The Lord speaks of it as being typical of Himself, the true [[Bread]] from Heaven, imparting eternal life and sustenance to those who by faith partake spiritually of Him, &nbsp;John 6:31-35 . The "hidden manna" is promised as one of the rewards of the overcomer, &nbsp;Revelation 2:17; it is thus suggestive of the moral excellence of Christ in His life on earth, hid from the eyes of men, by whom He was "despised and rejected;" the path of the overcomer is a reflex of His life. </p>

<p> &nbsp;(1):&nbsp; (n.) A sweetish exudation in the form of pale yellow friable flakes, coming from several trees and shrubs and used in medicine as a gentle laxative, as the secretion of Fraxinus Ornus, and F. rotundifolia, the manna ashes of Southern Europe. </p> <p> &nbsp;(2):&nbsp; (n.) A name given to lichens of the genus Lecanora, sometimes blown into heaps in the deserts of Arabia and Africa, and gathered and used as food. </p> <p> &nbsp;(3):&nbsp; (n.) The food supplied to the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness of Arabia; hence, divinely supplied food. </p>

<p> ''''' man´a ''''' (&nbsp; מן , <i> ''''' mān ''''' </i> ; &nbsp; μάννα , <i> ''''' mánna ''''' </i> ): The Hebrew man is probably derived, as Ebers suggests, from the Egyptian <i> ''''' mennu ''''' </i> , "food." In &nbsp; Exodus 16:15 , we have a suggested source of the name, "They said one to another, What is it?" i.e. <i> '''''manhu''''' </i> , which also means, "It is manna" (see margin). </p> 1. Old Testament References: <p> This substance is described as occurring in flakes or small round grains, literally, "hoax frost"; it fell with the dew (&nbsp;Numbers 11:9 ) and appeared when the dew left the ground (&nbsp;Exodus 16:14 ); "It was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey" (&nbsp;Exodus 16:31 ). In &nbsp;Numbers 11:8 , its taste is described "as the taste of fresh oil," margin "cakes baked with oil." "And the children of Israel did eat the manna forty years, until they came ... unto the borders of the land of Canaan" (&nbsp;Exodus 16:35 ). It ceased the day after they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain, in the plains of [[Jericho]] (&nbsp;Joshua 5:10-12 ). Although an important article of diet, it was by no means the sole one as seems implied in &nbsp;Numbers 21:15; there are plenty of references (e.g. &nbsp;Exodus 17:3; &nbsp;Exodus 24:5; &nbsp;Exodus 34:3; &nbsp;Leviticus 8:2 , &nbsp;Leviticus 8:26 , &nbsp;Leviticus 8:31; &nbsp;Leviticus 9:4; &nbsp;Leviticus 10:12; &nbsp;Leviticus 24:5; &nbsp;Numbers 7:13 , &nbsp;Numbers 7:19 f, etc.) which show that they had other food besides. The food was gathered every morning, "every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted" (&nbsp; Exodus 16:21 ); a portion of the previous day's gathering bred worms and stank if kept (&nbsp;Exodus 16:20 ); on the 6th day a double amount was gathered, the Sabbath portion being miraculously preserved (&nbsp;Exodus 16:22-27 ). A pot - a golden one (&nbsp;Hebrews 9:4 ) - with an omer of manna was "laid up before Yahweh" in the tabernacle (&nbsp;Exodus 16:33 ). Manna is referred to in &nbsp;Nehemiah 9:20 . It is described poetically as "food from heaven" and "bread of the mighty" (&nbsp;Psalm 78:24 f); as "bread of heaven" (&nbsp; Psalm 105:40 ); and as "angels' bread" (2 [[Esdras]] 1:19; The Wisdom of [[Solomon]] 16:20). </p> 2. New Testament References: <p> In &nbsp;John 6:31-63 , our Lord frequently refers to "the manna" or "bread from heaven" as typical of Himself. Paul (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 10:3 ) refers to it as "spiritual food," and in &nbsp;Revelation 2:17 we read, "To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna." </p> <p> Manna, as might be expected, figures largely in rabbinical literature. It was, it is said, adapted to the taste of each individual who could by wishing taste in the manna anything he desired (compare The Wisdom of &nbsp;Song of Solomon 16:21 ). Manna is reserved as the future food of the righteous (compare &nbsp;Revelation 2:17 ), for which purpose it is ground in a mill situated in the third heaven (Chag 12b; Tan. Beshallach 22). </p> 3. Natural Explanations: <p> No substance is known which in any degree satisfies all the requirements of the Scriptural references, but several travelers in the wilderness have reported phenomena which suggest some of the features of the miraculous manna. </p> <p> (1) In the Peninsula of Sinai, on the route of the children of Israel, a species of tamarisk, named in consequence by Ebers <i> Tammaris mannifera </i> , is found to exude a sweet, honey-like substance where its bark is pierced by an insect, <i> Gossyparia mannifera </i> . It collects upon the twigs and falls to the ground. The Arabs who gather it to sell to pilgrims call it <i> ''''' mann ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' es ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' samā ''''' </i> , "heavenly manna"; it is white at first but turns yellow; in the early morning it is of the consistency of wax but when the sun is hot it disappears. This substance occurs only after mid-summer and for a month or two at most. </p> <p> (2) A second proposal is to identify manna with a lichen - <i> Lecanora esculenta </i> and allied species - which grows in the Arabian and other deserts upon the limestone. The older masses become detached and are rolled about by the wind. When swept together by sudden rain storms in the rainy season they may collect in large heaps. This lichen has been used by the Arabs in time of need for making bread. It is a quite reasonable form of nourishment in the desert, especially when eaten with the sugary manna from the trees. </p>

<p> &nbsp;Bibliography InformationMcClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Manna'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and [[Ecclesiastical]] Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/m/manna.html. [[Harper]] & Brothers. New York. 1870. </p>